Month: August 2012

Sadly, summer is almost over…so some of you might think that this post is a little late…but I figured I would get it in time for Labor Day and in time for you to all buy some great swimsuits while they are on sale for next year! I love to do that because swimsuits can get pretty expensive. I like to buy a few cheap fun suits I can ruin or use if I know I’m going to throw it away at the end of the year or use it to get messy, etc. But I definitely think it is worth it to spend the money on a couple good suits each year as well. I hate when you buy a cheap suit and it gets all balled up and fades, or when you buy an expensive one and it does that! So I’m going to show you some brands that I love and then talk about what is best for your body, because I know it took me a while to figure that out! I also have been obsessing over one piece suits this year too, so I will show you lots of options for that as well!

Some of my favorite swim sites/stores: shopbop.com, vixswimwear.com, victoriasecret.com, asos.com, jcrew.com. These are my go-tos when I first start looking for swimsuits. I find greats suits elsewhere as you can tell by some of the ones I will post on here, but I always check out these places first for good quality suits, my staples, and unique finds! You can also look through some of my old posts at my favorite suits of the years and see where some of my other favorites stores are on those posts. Just use the tag “swim” to find those old posts.

This year I also found the site: everythingbutwater.com. I had shopped at the store in Vegas, but when I was down there with some friends in April we discovered that they have a website too! Woo hoo! It has great suits, especially for mixing and matching!

If you have a Small Chest:(this would be me! or…Kate Bosworth) To enhance your chest, wear suits with embellishment or details on top: ruffles, ruching, flowing fabric, an all over print, beading…Padding or underwire can also help out! Also sometimes too much coverage makes you look even smaller.

Kate is wearing an allover print, with is ruched in the center which creates the illusion that something is there on her tiny frame!

Curvy or Busty:(like Kim K) Support and coverage are your favorite words! Halter styles with medium to thick straps and suits with underwires work well for you because they provide this. Sturdy fabrics, ruching, and vertical ruffles on one pieces will help make your body look longer. Solid colors or prints with a dark background also help to minimize your bust! You can also go with bottoms with a print or embellishment to draw attention away from your top half.

Kim is wearing the thicker strapped VIX Bia Swimsuit, which provides great coverage…I think she probably has been since wearing this in almost every color. It’s a great suit for her shape.

If you have Hips: (like Maria Menounos) Go for a top that widens your body, or the has details that bring focus to your top half. Pick a simple bottom. High cut bottoms with ties narrow your hips. Avoid light bottoms, and full coverage bottoms like boy shorts – it just brings more attention to the area.

Maria’s wide set straps on top and lacey ruffle brings attention to her top half, while the small tie bottoms slim her hips.

Apple-Shaped: (like Jessica Simpson – post pregnancy – sorry I couldn’t find a good picture in a swimsuit…or Snooki, but she doesn’t really follow the rules so I couldn’t find a good picture either.) The best thing to slim your tummy is ruching down the middle or sides. Also, anything that has side sliming details, like colorblocking or piping. Support and coverage is also important here as well.

Slim/Slender and Tall:(like Gisele) Bandeaus! Take advantage of your long lines and streamlined silhouette with a bandeau. It’s simple and no fuss. You can get away with a lot because a simple bikini looks great on you, too. For one pieces open sides and backs are fun – it creates shape and makes your bum look amazing!

Boyish/Pencil Figure:(like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley)This is close to the same as flat chested, but your hips are also very straight or “non-existent”…so you’re going to want to add embellishment and details to that area, much that same as your did to your top. Add curves by picking bottoms (and tops) that have ruffles, ruching, and patterns that bring out your waist, hips, and bust. Try high-waisted, boy-cut, or string bottoms! To create a waist you can try color blocking also. It helps to create the illusion of a wasit. Try to stay away from one pieces that are basic tanks or have high necklines – they tend to emphasize your straight up and down shape.

Rosie’s top and bottom have ruffles and an all over print that helps bring shape to her straight up and down figure.

Hourglass:(like Blake Lively) You are lucky because you can get away with basically any shape! Have fun accentuating your curves with fun retro styles, deep v’s, and peplums this year, which are all in style and look like they are around to stay!

Blake Lively shows us how great her hourglass shape looks in a deep v swimsuit!

For the girls who think they have a pouch:and as she said…who doesn’t think that? haha, but if you really do or are concerned about it…You can go with a Molokini, but these are sometimes hard to pull off as it is. I would try a very simple one if you do (like the one posted below). Obviously any one piece will cover it, unless you feel like it will show through. A high wasited bottom is another way to cover that area and bring positive attention to that area in a different way. Ruching in that area and a chevron pattern will also give you a simming effect.

Shop This Post

“If I was a rich (wo)man”…yeah that was me singing, Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof. Don’t judge.

But I’m dying over Alexis Bittar’s Siyabona Elements Collection; particularly the “panther” pieces. Do you not just love them? I guess I’m partial to animalistic jewerly. My grandmother always wears things like this and I love it. I guess it just kind of reminds me of her.

Take a walk on the wild side with me and enjoy these stalking sensations!